(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing a panel storage frame and a panel storage frame produced through the production method.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Recently, a flat-screen TV receiver has been increasingly distributed. The thickness of the flat-screen TV receiver has been reduced by the use of the thin panel, hardly requiring the depth which has been needed for the generally employed cathode-ray tube. The liquid crystal panel, the plasma panel and the like have been employed as the thin panel.
FIG. 13 is a view showing the inner structure of the generally employed flat-screen TV receiver. Referring to the drawing, a flat-screen TV receiver 1 includes a panel 2 for displaying the video image, a frame 3 which protects the panel 2, a control substrate for driving the panel 2 (not shown), and a cabinet 4 which stores the panel 2 protected by the frame 3. The frame 3 formed through the sheet metal working has a recess portion to surround the outer periphery of the panel 2. The cabinet 4 has the space for storing the panel 2 having the outer periphery surrounded with the frame 3.
Registered Utility Model Publication No. 3112212 discloses the flat-screen TV receiver having the frame 3 surrounding the outer periphery of the panel 2 and located at a predetermined position of the cabinet 4 so as to be fixed. The frame 3 serves to protect the panel 2 from the impact exerted from outside together with the cabinet 4. Each size of the frame 3 and the cabinet 4 is determined in accordance with the size of the panel 2, and accordingly, needed to be designed to match the size of the panel 2.
The panel 2 of the aforementioned flat-screen TV receiver 1 demands the sophisticated production technology, resulting in the increased process steps. Upon production of the flat-screen TV receiver 1, there may be the case that the panel 2 manufactured outside is purchased to be assembled with the self-manufactured parts. In the aforementioned case, the frame 3 and the cabinet 4 are required to be designed to match the size of the panel 2. Upon replacement of the panel 2, the re-design of those components is required, thus increasing the production costs.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-126436 discloses the production method of the cabinet to match the size of the panel. More specifically, the production method of the base cabinet of the video unit of rear-projection type with which the chassis such as the optical system is assembled between the upper cabinet formed of the resin material and the base cabinet is disclosed. In the disclosed production method, a part of the mold for forming both ends of the base cabinet in the width direction is formed as a nesting structure corresponding to the width of the upper cabinet designed to match the size of the chassis to be assembled. The width of the base cabinet may be adjusted in accordance with the configuration of the nesting structure, thus making it possible to produce the base cabinet with different configuration in a single mold.
The aforementioned Utility Model Publication No. 3112212 has a disadvantage requiring the frame to be redesigned to match the size of the panel, resulting in the cost for preparing to produce the mold used to manufacture the frame.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-126436 is intended to change the size of the upper cabinet by changing the surface size of the opposite base cabinet formed of the resin extending in the width direction. The manufacturing method of the resin frame is different from that of the sheet metal frame. It is therefore difficult to apply the art disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-126436 to the present invention. The base cabinet is formed by applying the melted resin material to the cavity formed of the upper and the lower mold. Briefly speaking, the size of the cabinet may be changed by changing the size of the cavity. Meanwhile, the production method of the sheet metal frame is totally different because the frame is formed through the bending process, extrusion process and the like.
The art disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-126436 is intended to change the width of the base cabinet in accordance with the width of the upper cabinet. As formation of the frame which stores the panel with different size is required to change the position of the fixture and the thickness in addition to the change in the width, only the two dimensional change in the width of the base cabinet is insufficient to satisfy the requirement as described above.